Kindle Colorsoft review: I've been waiting years for this

The Kindle Colorsoft ($279) is the first color Kindle and something I’ve been waiting years for. Thanks to its display, you can now enjoy book covers and comics in all their colorful glory. It’s effectively the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, only with a beautiful color display.

That 7-inch display is slightly larger than the 6.8-inch screen of the previous Kindle Paperwhite. It has a 300ppi resolution for black-and-white text and images but drops to 150ppi when viewing things in color. Thankfully, everything still appears reasonably sharp even with a diminished resolution. The screen also has a higher contrast than previous Paperwhite models, which helps black lines pop on white backgrounds.

The Kindle Colorsoft doesn’t shake things up design-wise, which is mostly a good thing. The matte black tablet is easy to hold in one hand and is thin and light enough to comfortably tuck inside a backpack—though it’s too big to fit inside most normal-sized jeans or shirt pockets. It’s a sleek and elegant device, though it doesn’t offer any color options besides black. And if you were wondering, the power button still resides on the bottom of the device, which will no doubt frustrate some.

As the company's first color Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft is an absolute winner and one of the best Kindles available. Though it’s certainly pricey, it’s the Kindle I’ve always wanted.

Kindle Colorsoft review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon’s first e-reader with a color display.
• Who is it for? It’s for folks who want to read color comics, see a novel’s cover in color or create color highlights in books.
• What does it cost? The Kindle Colorsoft costs $279 and packs 32GB of storage. You can order it now from Amazon.
• What do we like? The color display, fast performance and lightweight design.
• What don’t we like? The high price compared to most Kindles.

Kindle Colorsoft review: Specs

Kindle Colorsoft review: The ups

The Kindle Colorsoft impresses thanks to its color e-reader display and familiar design. It also has strong battery life and provides instant access to Amazon's Kindle library.

Gorgeous color display 

Colors on the e-reader displays I've seen tend to look washed out and blurry. Because of that, I worried that a color Kindle would suffer from the same issue. Thankfully my fear was unfounded, as the Kindle Colorsoft has excellent color reproduction.

The Colorsoft’s 7-inch display is great for black and white and color content alike. Whether it’s comics or novels, everything appears like it was printed on actual paper. Sure, comics look much brighter and clearer on the iPad mini 7, but the latter doesn’t have that paper-like quality. Even after a week of use, I marvel at seeing the covers of the books in my digital library in full color on the Colorsoft.

There are two color styles to choose from: Standard and Vivid. The former utilizes the full range of colors to show more details while the latter makes colors pop more. While Vivid might sound like the better choice, some images appear better than others, depending on the colors on the screen. Because of that, I prefer the balanced look of Standard where everything almost always looks great.

Color is this device’s main selling point, but monochrome performance remains strong and it’s just as good for reading novels and manga. Black text looks nice and bold thanks to the Colorsoft’s boosted contrast. Drawings in manga volumes also benefit from this. The Colorsoft and new Paperwhite alike are now excellent options for reading black-and-white content.

I prefer reading Kindles with the display’s brightness set to zero, but I will bump up the brightness if I want to do some reading in bed with my room's lights off. The 12 white LEDs and 13 amber LEDs aren’t abrasive, making for a comfortable reading experience in the dark. You can also turn up the light’s warmth, which is easier for your eyes. I’m also a fan of the new auto-brightness feature that adjusts the light level based on ambient lighting conditions. 

Even though color images display at 150 ppi instead of the 300 ppi resolution you get when viewing black and white content, said images appear nice and sharp to my eyes. I read the latest issue of Titan Comics’ Conan the Barbarian and was impressed by the sharpness of drawings and text alike. Even though I could zoom in, I didn’t need to since everything on the screen was so clearly defined. If you love reading digital comics like I do, you’re going to have a blast binge-reading your favorite books on the Colorsoft.

Classic Kindle design

Except for its color display, the Kindle Colorsoft is virtually indistinguishable from the new Kindle Paperwhite. It has roughly the same dimensions and weight, features the same flush display and feels light in your hands. There’s only one design element I’m not too fond of, but I’ll cover that in a moment.

Simply holding the Colorsoft is delightful thanks to the soft matte-black chassis. Though the device is relatively smooth, you never feel like it will slip from your hand. The bezels are slightly smaller to accommodate the 7-inch display, though the bottom bezel is still oversized so you can rest your thumb on it without obscuring what you’re reading.

Ironically, the Kindle Colorsoft only comes in black, unlike the Paperwhite which comes in three different colors (Raspberry, Jade and Black). While I wish there were more color options, it’s not a major complaint since the all-black device makes it easier for me to concentrate on what I’m reading.

There’s a lone USB-C port on the Colorsoft’s bottom edge, along with a power button. The power button’s placement has long been a point of contention for many, and I’m surprised Amazon didn’t place it on the top. Though it doesn’t happen very often, there are times when I accidentally press the power button, which is pretty annoying.

I didn’t try dunking the Colorsoft in a sink full of water to test its water resistance like we did with 2021's Paperwhite, but if you like reading in the tub or by the pool, the device’s waterproof resistance rating of IPX8 means it can survive accidentally falling into shallow water.

Power button placement aside, the Kindle Paperwhite’s design is arguably perfect.

Great user experience 

The Kindle Colorsoft has the same intuitive user interface Kindle fans will be familiar with. The home page displays selections from your library and recommendations from Amazon. You’ll also see a search bar to let you search for books right from the home page. Clicking on the “Library” tab displays everything in your Kindle library. If you have a huge library like I do, you can use the filter icon to make searching easier.

Though it’s not well-liked by some, I’m a fan of the Goodreads reader-focused social network and how it’s seamlessly integrated into the Kindle experience. As I could before, I’m able to update my progress in a book and leave a rating when I’ve finished said book. This might be the gamer in me speaking, but as with trophies on PS5, I like having an account of every book I’ve read.

Navigating your library and settings is much faster than on the previous Kindle Paperwhite. This is good considering how painfully slow older Kindles once were. Since you can practically breeze through menus and options, you’re more inclined to fiddle with settings since it won't take a long time.

The actual reading experience is also better since page turns are much faster; up to 25% faster, according to Amazon. Because of that, I found myself reading faster than usual. Pages turn noticeably slower for comics or any other color book. However, I found the speed comparable to the previous Kindle Paperwhite, which isn’t bad at all. Regardless, you won’t have to suffer painfully slow page turns even if it’s a comic or novel.

So many books! 

Every Kindle can access the enormous Kindle Store with its millions of available books, including novels, comics and Audible audiobooks. With a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you have access to much of that content for $12 a month.

Other apps like Libby or Overdrive even let you download digital books from your public library. You can even upload your own e-books to Kindle via the Amazon Send website. Needless to say there’s virtually no shortage of books you can enjoy on the Kindle Colorsoft.

Incredible battery life 

Amazon claims the Kindle Colorsoft has up to 8 weeks’ worth of battery life. I haven’t had the device long enough to put that claim to the test. However, after a full week of reading for roughly an hour a day with the brightness off and the device connected to my Wi-Fi network, the Colorsoft’s battery went from 100% to 89%.

I don’t know if the Colorsoft will last exactly 8 weeks based on my personal usage, but I can confidently say that I won’t have to worry about charging it for several weeks.

Kindle Colorsoft review: The downs

The Kindle Colorsoft is an almost perfect device for reading digital books. However, there's something about it that could be a deal-breaker for some.

Steep price 

The Kindle Colorsoft is an incredible device. However, it doesn’t come cheap.

At $279, the Colorsoft is $120 more than the entry-level Paperwhite and $80 more than the Paperwhite Signature Edition. If you're like me, then paying extra for a color Kindle is worth it. However, even a color display might not be enough justification for some—which is perfectly reasonable.

While the Colorsoft’s price stings, Amazon almost always sells Kindles at a discount. And with Black Friday fast approaching, it would be smart to wait to see if you can get a Colorsoft at a reduced price.

Kindle Colorsoft review: Verdict

Despite its price, the Kindle Colorsoft is the perfect device for folks who want a color e-reader but don’t want to step out of the Amazon ecosystem. As I've made clear in this review, this is the Kindle I've been waiting for, and I'm sure many others will also feel the same. It really is a terrific device.

Thanks to its colorful display, svelte design and quality-of-life features, I expect the Kindle Colorsoft will be a winner this holiday season—and beyond.